Sombra Gonzàlez

Sombra Gonzàlez

Every month we ask one individual in our network a few questions about their way into tech, their motivation and their lessons learned.

So, let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about where you’re from?
I’m
from Spain. I studied a Bachelor in Computer Science in my home city
and after few years working in Madrid as a consultant I decided to try
my luck abroad. Nine years ago I moved to Switzerland and since then I
live and work in Bern.

What valuable advice did you get from your parents?
Many but probably the most important was “Be yourself. Don’t worry about what the others do. Be loyal to your values”

How did you become interested in tech?
I must say I’ve been always interested in solving problems and creating things.
After
the secondary school I wanted to study something related to Maths.
Since in the university of my home city there was a program in Computer
Science I decided to give it a try. After the first year I discovered
the flexibility and potential that technology has, its wide area of
application and how much it can help us to improve our daily life. These
reasons hooked me up and since then I developed my professional career
as a software engineer in different fields for example finance and the
public sector.

What aspects of your work are you proudest of?
I
really like the idea of contributing to innovative solutions that make
people’s lives easier. Apart from that I’m definitely proud of having
successfully worked in multicultural teams involved in fascinating
projects.

What drives you in your work?
Drive comes
first from the project itself, mainly from its business and its
implemented technology. A second driver is the team I’m working with.
Teamwork is crucial and makes me grow both professional and personally.

What have been some of the toughest challenges of working in tech?
Probably
to work in a male dominated industry. The lack of diversity in tech is a
fact. Only in few projects I wasn’t the only woman involved but in all
of them women were always a minority. That can make you feel insecure
and sometimes intimidated, specially when you don’t have enough support
from your work colleagues, bosses or your company’s culture. Even though
my experience during the last ten years has been really positive, I do
think we still have a long way to go.

What advice would you give to other women in tech?
Get
updated and don’t get scared of reinventing yourself. Trust your
strengths and do not underestimate your knowledge and experience.
Companies need our perspective and opinion. And last but not least,
build a solid professional network.

Sombra is working as a Software Engineer at Puzzle ITC. She lives in Berne with her husband and her 2 year old son. Sombra is one of the founding partner and a board member of the newly established We Shape Tech chapter in Berne.